Modern Medicine

I am usually not one to tout the wonders of modern medicine; I prefer to let my body do the healing on its own and not interfere with something that someone thought up that they think is superior to nature's way.  HOWEVER!  Today, after fighting a headache all yesterday afternoon, hoping to sleep it away last night, and waking up STILL WITH IT this morning, I am super thankful for good ol' Excedrin, which can kick an almost-migraine in 30 minutes.  My day was doable, thanks to Excedrin.  

Tomato Sandwiches

Today I had my first tomato sandwich with vine-ripe tomatoes from our garden.  I am so thankful for the difference between store-bought tomatoes and home-grown tomatoes.  I would never ever make a tomato sandwich with a store-bought tomato.  These ones are so good, I doubled up on the tomatoes in the sandwich.  It was a mess to eat, however, it was worth every drippy, finger-lickin' bite!

Cheating

I am thankful that sometimes it is OK to cheat at Scrabble.  

Sunday Dinner

I am thankful for Sunday dinners with the family.  Great food, both for the body, and for the soul. Good times, talking, laughing, eating, and lingering around the table.  Sometimes we get lucky and have Grandpa or other relatives or friends join us.  Sometimes it is "just us," and that's 10! Sometimes we are around the table, and sometimes we eat outside if the weather is lovely.  Sunday dinners cannot be beat!

Friends

I am thankful for the sweetness and enduring quality of THIS friendship.  Do you remember your first childhood friend?  Did you share all kinds of secrets, stay up late just talking, and feel like there would never be a friend as perfect as this one?  Did the friendship last into grade school and then junior high?  If it did, you have an idea of how sweet and precious this friendship is.  I am so grateful.

My Bed

I am thankful for my bed.  I am thankful for my nice mattress, my memory foam topper, my down comforter, my cool clean sheets, my romantic canopy, and the way it looks so crisp when I put all white sheets and pillowcases on it.  In the winter I am thankful for flannel sheets and the extra down comforter we stuff into the duvet cover.  And in the summer, I am thankful for the way the pillows are cool on the backside.  

Organization

Today I am grateful for my organized baking cupboard.  Not only am I grateful for the items in it, and the cupboard itself, but even more so, I am grateful for my daughter who made it this way.  She can really kick some clutter butt when she puts her mind to it.  I love that she tackled this project for me.  Baking treats for the kids, or having the kids bake their own treats, is so much easier when you can see and reach what you need.  Thank you, Amber!!

(I should have taken a "before" picture.  It was bad, I tell ya.  Next time I will.)

My backyard

Maybe I have posted about my backyard before, but I really am thankful for it.  There are a lot of elements that I am thankful for, and you can see many of them in this picture.  My hammock, for instance, and me in it!  The tree fort that the kids love to play in, and the pool.  The garden, and my hubby working in it (you can see his white shirt beyond the pool, camouflaged in the strings of the hammock), the swing with Bridget on it, and the hummingbird feeder (hanging in the tree).  Lots of things to love here.  Lots to be grateful for!

Lookie here!

Do you see what I see?  Red tomatoes hiding in my plant!  I am grateful they are ripening, because I really do love me a good tomato sandwich, or a lovely and delicious caprese salad.  Coming soon!

Fabric Softener

Today I am thankful for fabric softener.  My sister helped me fold laundry once and remarked that my towels weren't very soft.  She asked if I used fabric softener and when I said no, she told me I ought to try it.  Uh, YEAH!  Big difference!  Now I have big piles of soft fluffy white towels!  I love their smell, too: clean, and a little bit bleach-y.  Makes me want to take a bath and wrap up in one of these!  Even my cleaning rags are soft.  Gotta love it.

My baby

Today I am thankful for the amazing year I have had as the mother of this oh-so-sweet baby girl.  Yesterday was her first birthday, and I took this picture of the two of us.  I am thankful to have a photo of us together, since we are always together, yet I always seem to be only behind the camera.  I held my arm out and snapped this pic of us both.  I'll remember this day forever: Julia played in the yard, discovering the hose trickling, and she spent a nice hour eating a leisurely lunch and learning to say the word "cracker."  She likes her crackers with hummus!  What a treasure the day was, and what a treasure this sweet baby girl is.  Bye bye, infancy.  Here's to growing up!

The Pool

Today I am thankful for the pool.  It can keep a whole slew of kids happy for hours.  Plain and simple.